Author: Zora Neale Hurston Genre: Bildungsroman, American Southern spiritual journey Lexile Level: 1080 Description: Hurston captures the African-American folk tradition by writing in vernacular "folk" dialect, true to the time and place (Eatonville, Florida). Hurston portrays and challenges the social and racial conditions of the early 1900's by chronicling protagonist Janie Crawford's quest for identity, her growth through love and heartache, and her ability to rise up in the face of adversity. Janie's story is a mere representation of the much larger racial inequities of the time; her tale illustrates how communities can come together through tradition and storytelling to repair those inequities. Rationale:Their Eyes Were Watching God is one of the most acclaimed novels to come out of the Harlem Renaissance; it encourages thought and discussion about issues such as race, feminism, self-identity, symbolism, and metaphor. Zora Neale Hurston WebsiteTeacher's Notes
2005 Film adaptation - directed by Darnell Martin, starring Halle Berry Film Trailer Hurston - Documentary Clip
Title: Neuromancer (1984) -- [Josiah]
Author: William Gibson Genre: Science Fiction Description:
Sometime in the not-so-distant future, Henry Case is a down-on-his-luck computer hacker. He is a data-thief and a corporate spy who can upload his consciousness into the digital world of Cyberspace. Case was such a good thief that he even liked to steal from his employers. But one time Case got caught, and the bosses infected him with a neurotoxin. The poison ravaged Case’s nervous system to the extent he couldn’t go into Cyberspace anymore. But one day, Case meets a military man named Armitage and an assassin named Molly Millions. They are working for a mysterious man named Wintermute, and they make Case an offer he can’t refuse: they’ll repair Case’s nervous system if he agrees to go on one last mission in Cyberspace. There is a powerful artificial intelligence called Neuromancer, and Case will have to find a way to destroy it. But Case doesn’t know that Neuromancer is protected by powerful corporate interests, and Neuromancer is a highly-evolved intelligence that can kill to protect itself. Case also doesn’t know that his employers are keeping dark secrets of their own, and they themselves might be the most dangerous players in a game where you die if you lose.
Theme or Topic:Power, Technology, Politics, Wealth, Corruption, Identity
Rationale: Neuromancer is a pioneering novel about life in the information age. William Gibson wrote the book long before the Internet was a practical reality; indeed, Gibson is the man who coined the term, “cyberspace.” Neuromancer is the definitive work in the sub-genre of science fiction called cyberpunk, and Neuromancer inspired later novels like Snow Crash, comic books like Transmetropolitan, films like The Matrix, and innumerable video games. William Gibson is himself a wonderful prose stylist, influenced by great writers like Thomas Pynchon, Philip K. Dick, and William S. Burroughs. Speaking from personal experience, I read Neuromancer when I was eighteen, and it set my brain on fire. This book is the main reason I became an English major in college, and I think it would be a wonderful book to read in a high school setting. The students of today would have an interesting perspective on the book, since they are “technological natives” who accept the Internet as a fait accompli, whereas Gibson was looking forward to the future and imagining The Next Big Thing.
Neuromancer Wiki. Useful and well-organized. Teachers and students can add their own information and insights while they read the novel.
Title: The Maltese Falcon (1930) -- [Josiah]
Author: Dashiell HammettGenre: MysteryDescription:The Maltese Falcon is the archetypal American mystery novel. Sam Spade is a private eye who is investigating the death of his business partner Miles Archer. Some people think that Spade himself killed Archer. Spade didn’t like the man, but it’s bad for business to let somebody kill your partner and get away with it. Brigid O’Shaughnessy is a beautiful woman who hires Spade to help her find a person who doesn’t even exist, while dangerous criminals are looking for the priceless statue of a golden falcon. These men will kill anybody who gets in their way, including Sam Spade. The detective is caught up in a shadowy world of hidden identities, double-crosses, and murderous intent. Brigid O’Shaughnessy is not what she seems to be, and neither is the Maltese Falcon... Theme or Topic: Loyalty and Betrayal. Truth and Deception. Rationale:Dashiell Hammett is a great American writer. He was both a popular and critical success when he wrote, and his best work is still rewarding, even today. He wrote in a telegraphic, declarative style which is similar to the work of Ernest Hemingway. Hammett could provide an interesting glimpse into early 20th century American literature for high schoolers. You could very easily jump from The Maltese Falcon to the work of Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, or William Faulkner. The Maltese Falcon requires a high level of reading comprehension that 9th and 10th graders don’t generally have. The readers need to make plenty of their own inferences, and they need to look for hidden truths behind the lies and betrayals that permeate the novel. 11th and 12th graders however will be perceptive enough to investigate The Maltese Falcon. Text Complexity:Lexile Level: 760L
File:Falconm.JPG
Text Complexity Rubric for Literary TextsLayout: Complex TextsPurpose & Meaning: Complex Texts Language Features: Somewhat Complex TextsStructure: Complex TextsKnowledge Demands Fiction: Somewhat Complex Texts Resources: The Maltese Falcon in Exactly Seven Minutes. This is the entire plot of the novel edited to run in only seven minutes. The video is edited from the 1941 film directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart. //The Maltese Falcon// Teacher’s Guide: Schedule/Lesson Plans. Great resources for a ten-lesson unit on the book. “The Simple Art of Murder” by Raymond Chandler. This is a wonderful essay by another great mystery novelist. Raymond Chandler writes about the evolution of mystery novels from the so-called Golden Age of Agatha Christie up through the revolution of American pulp writers like Hammett and Chandler himself. This is wonderful investigation of the straightforward style and artistic merit of Dashiell Hammett’s writing.
Description: Adulteress Hester Prynne must wear a scarlet A to mark her shame. She conceives a daughter through her adulterous affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, remains unidentified and is wracked with guilt, while her husband, Roger Chillingworth, seeks revenge. The Scarlet Letter's symbolism helps create a powerful drama in Puritan Boston: a kiss, evil, sin, nature, the scarlet letter, and the punishing scaffold.
Themes: The nature of evil, sin, identity and society Rationale: When Hester Prynne bears an illegitimate child she is introduced to the ugliness, complexity, and ultimately the strength of the human spirit. Though set in Puritan community centuries ago, the moral dilemmas of personal responsibility, and consuming emotions of guilt, anger, loyalty and revenge are timeless. This is a classic example of the human conflict between emotion and intellect. Watch the 1995 movie trailer The Scarlet Letter at Intiman Theatre
Still from the 1926 film version. Lillian Gish, in Victor Sjostrom's adaptation. Text Complexity Rubric for Literary TextsLayout: Complex TextsPurpose & Meaning: Complex TextsLanguage Features:Complex TextsStructure:Complex TextsKnowledge Demands Fiction: Complex Texts
Title: The Handmaid's Tale (1985) [Rachel]
Author: Margaret AtwoodGenre: Speculative Fiction (Dystopian/Satire) Description: (This description is from Goodreads.com. Click to follow the link.) Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now... Theme or Topic: Feminism, Dystopian Society, Language as Instrument of Power, Human Complacency Rationale: This book tackles many large issues that require higher order thinking, examination of personal beliefs and philosophies, and a closer look at political implications. However, the story itself is engaging, exciting, and suspenseful. Atwood explores complex literary conventions such as magical realism and satire as well as complex moral themes, yet the text remains approachable. .Text Complexity: Lexile Level: 750L Text Complexity Rubric for Literary TextsLayout: Complex TextsPurpose & Meaning: Complex TextsLanguage Features:ComplexStructure: Somewhat ComplexKnowledge Demands: Somewhat Complex Resources:
Author: Neil Gaimon
Genre: Fiction/Urban-Fantasy Description:(From Goodreads.com. Click to follow link.)After three years in prison, Shadow has done his time. But as the days, then the hours, then the minutes, then the seconds until his release tick away, he can feel a storm building. Two days before he gets out, his wife Laura dies in a mysterious car crash, in apparently adulterous circumstances. Dazed, Shadow travels home, only to encounter the bizarre Mr. Wednesday claiming to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America. Together they embark on a very strange journey across the States, along the way solving the murders which have occurred every winter in one small American town. But they are being pursued by someone with whom Shadow must make his peace... Disturbing, gripping and profoundly strange, Neil Gaiman's epic new novel sees him on the road to finding the soul of America. Theme or Topic: American "culture" and how it came to be a conglomerate and bastardization of cultures preceding. Rationale: This book educates about multiple cultures' gods and religions while also exploring the affect of capitalism and "plasticism" of American culture. Gaiman uses a wide variety of literary techniques, but in a modern and engaging fashion. The story and characters are memorable enough to make you forget that you are engaging in philosophical critical thinking at almost every turn. Text Complexity, Lexile: No Lexile Level available; AR Level of 5.3 Text Complexity Rubric for Literary Texts:
Layout - Somewhat Complex
Purpose and Meaning - Complex Text Plus
Structure - Complex Text
Language Features - Complex
Knowledge Demands - Complex
Genre: Coming of Age Description: Yukio Mishima's coming of age tale is set in post WWII Japan and centers on Shinji Kubo and his love interest Hatsue. Their love faces the obstacle of rumors impugning Yuji's good name and the dissaproval this generates with Hatsue's family. Through a display of heroism Shinji wins his love's heart and her family's approval. The simple and recognizable storyline couched within the unique environment of post-war Japan. Mishima's beautiful description and poignant expression of his character's feeling makes the text resonant while also creating an idyllic tale that expresses his ideologies. Themes: Coming of age, first love, societal pressure, culture study Rationale: “The Sound of Waves” is an accessible representation of Mishima's work and an excellent opportunity to showcase the experiences and assertions of a Japanese nationalist in a text written very shortly after the war's end. Behind the text's fairly straightforward story is a wealth of information concerning both the time period and Mishima's reaction to the political climate in which he writes. Text Complexity:
Lexile unavailable, however his other works, with available Lexile scores, range from 950L-1120L suggesting that this text falls within an acceptable range of complexity. Rubric:
Layout: Complex
Purpose and Meaning: Complex
Structure: Somewhat Complex
Language Features: Very Complex
Knowledge Demands: Complex
http://www.chlive.org/pbeck/eastlibrary/MISHIMA.htm – Variety of resources on Mishima, Japanese culture, religion and resources concerning the individual novel and it's many reiterations. http://www.globaled.org/spot_JP/c1l2.html – A lesson plan for teaching the novel over the course of a few weeks. The unit is organized with a social studies slant, though still offers some good insights concerning the text. Title:The Stranger (1942) Author: Albert Camus
TheStranger BookCover3.jpg
Genre: Fiction/Foreign Literature Description: The Stranger is a novel written by Albert Camus which discovers various schools of philosophical thought including existentialism, absurdism, nihilism, and naturalism. The main character, Meursault, gives a first person narrative which is broken up into two parts: before and after he murders another man. Meursault struggles with the meaning of life before he murders a man, and struggles with what will happen to him after his death after he murders the man. Rationale: This novel is great for 11-12 grade reading because of the philosophical concepts it explores. Although quantitatively the work is considered lower than a 11-12 grade level, qualitatively it is much higher. It requires the students to understand concepts which are not explicitly stated and think deeper about philosophical ideas such as existentialism or nihilism. This opens the doors for lengthy in-depth discussions and written work by the students. Layout: Complex
Purpose: Very Complex
Structure: Somewhat Complex
Language: Somewhat Complex
Genre: Fiction Description:The Slave Girl follows the fortunes of Ogbanje Ojebeta, a Nigerian woman who is sold into slavery in her own land after disease and tragedy leave her orphaned as a child. In her fellow slaves, she finds a surrogate family that clings together under the unbending rule of their master. As Ogbanje Ojebeta becomes a woman and discovers her need for home and family, and for freedom and identity, she realizes that she must ultimately choose her own destiny. Resource:http://www.amazon.com/Slave-Girl-Novel-Buchi-Emecheta/dp/0807609528 Rationale: This novel is a great novel to teach 11th or 12th grade students not only because of its lexile level (1060), but because of the content. Themes such as slavery, racism, and gender roles are all incorporated into this novel which makes for very in-depth discussions. Complexity
Layout: Complex
Purpose: Complex to very complex
Structure: Complex
Language: Complex to very complex
Description: The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald which tells the story of the famously wealthy Jay Gatsby, and his ruinous pursuit of Daisy Buchanan. The Great Gatsby explores many themes, including materialsm, love, and national identity, and is often labeled the "Great American Novel." It is simply not to be missed. Rationale: This novel is great for 11-12 grade reading because it has all of the traits that make for productive discussion in an English classroom, yet the story itself is highly accessible. Kids love the mysterious history of Gatsby, his undying love for daisy, and can easily relate to the materialism that pervades the whole novel.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (Signet Classics)
Genre: Fiction / Ninteenth-Centuary Literature
Description: The Mad Hatter, the Ugly Duchess, the Mock Turtle, the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat -- characters each more eccentric than the last, and that could only have come from Lewis Carroll, the master of sublime nonsense. In these two brilliant burlesques he created two of the most famous and fantastic novels of all time that not only stirred our imagination but revolutionized literature (Amazon).
Rationale: This novel is useful in grades 11-12 because it is a story that is both familier to most students, and fun to read. Further, the complexity of Carroll's ideas and his frequent use of satire mean that there is plenty of material for analysis for even the most rigorous of classes. Seniors often struggle with motivation, and this book is different enough from the usual school selections that it might renew some interest in the subject.
Lexile: 940L
Layout: Complex
Purpose: Very Complex
Structure: Very Complex
Language: Somewhat Complex
Description: When Germany invaded Poland, Stuka bombers devastated Warsaw—and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski began smuggling Jews into empty cages. Another dozen "guests" hid inside the Zabinskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts. Jan, active in the Polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital. Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and its animal inhabitants—otters, a badger, hyena pups, lynxes (Amazon). Rationale: This novel is offers a great connection to any History class that is studying WWII. It is brutally descriptive of one of the saddest points in the world's history, and has a story that is compelling enough to draw in all but the most resistant students.
Layout: Complex
Purpose: Very Complex
Structure: Very Complex
Language: Complex
Description: Don Quixote is a reader who has lost sight of the horizon between fiction and reality. Full to the brim of tales of adventure and romance, Quixote comes to believe that he himself is a knight straight from the pages of his favorite stories and must take on a chivalrous quest. Quixote's grand delusion leads to plenty of confusion and mischief, alternating between the wildly funny and the poignant as he follows his dream of imaginative heroism in the face of harsh reality (http://www.dailylit.com/books/don-quixote). Rationale:This novel is wonderful for studying satire, and also offers many opportunities for discussion on the importance of an author's context. Don Quixote seems so modern in its parody that engaged students cannot help but wonder how this Cervantes managed to write this so long ago. Additionally, Don Quixote has become such an archetypal character that students will be well- served by developing a genuine familiarity with Cervantes's bumbling protagonist.
Title: Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937)
Author: Zora Neale HurstonGenre: Bildungsroman, American Southern spiritual journey
Lexile Level: 1080
Description: Hurston captures the African-American folk tradition by writing in vernacular "folk" dialect, true to the time and place (Eatonville, Florida). Hurston portrays and challenges the social and racial conditions of the early 1900's by chronicling protagonist Janie Crawford's quest for identity, her growth through love and heartache, and her ability to rise up in the face of adversity. Janie's story is a mere representation of the much larger racial inequities of the time; her tale illustrates how communities can come together through tradition and storytelling to repair those inequities.
Rationale: Their Eyes Were Watching God is one of the most acclaimed novels to come out of the Harlem Renaissance; it encourages thought and discussion about issues such as race, feminism, self-identity, symbolism, and metaphor.
Zora Neale Hurston Website Teacher's Notes
2005 Film adaptation - directed by Darnell Martin, starring Halle Berry Film Trailer
Hurston - Documentary Clip
Title: Neuromancer (1984) -- [Josiah]
Author: William GibsonGenre: Science Fiction
Description:
Sometime in the not-so-distant future, Henry Case is a down-on-his-luck computer hacker. He is a data-thief and a corporate spy who can upload his consciousness into the digital world of Cyberspace. Case was such a good thief that he even liked to steal from his employers. But one time Case got caught, and the bosses infected him with a neurotoxin. The poison ravaged Case’s nervous system to the extent he couldn’t go into Cyberspace anymore. But one day, Case meets a military man named Armitage and an assassin named Molly Millions. They are working for a mysterious man named Wintermute, and they make Case an offer he can’t refuse: they’ll repair Case’s nervous system if he agrees to go on one last mission in Cyberspace. There is a powerful artificial intelligence called Neuromancer, and Case will have to find a way to destroy it. But Case doesn’t know that Neuromancer is protected by powerful corporate interests, and Neuromancer is a highly-evolved intelligence that can kill to protect itself. Case also doesn’t know that his employers are keeping dark secrets of their own, and they themselves might be the most dangerous players in a game where you die if you lose.
Theme or Topic: Power, Technology, Politics, Wealth, Corruption, Identity
Rationale:
Neuromancer is a pioneering novel about life in the information age. William Gibson wrote the book long before the Internet was a practical reality; indeed, Gibson is the man who coined the term, “cyberspace.” Neuromancer is the definitive work in the sub-genre of science fiction called cyberpunk, and Neuromancer inspired later novels like Snow Crash, comic books like Transmetropolitan, films like The Matrix, and innumerable video games. William Gibson is himself a wonderful prose stylist, influenced by great writers like Thomas Pynchon, Philip K. Dick, and William S. Burroughs. Speaking from personal experience, I read Neuromancer when I was eighteen, and it set my brain on fire. This book is the main reason I became an English major in college, and I think it would be a wonderful book to read in a high school setting. The students of today would have an interesting perspective on the book, since they are “technological natives” who accept the Internet as a fait accompli, whereas Gibson was looking forward to the future and imagining The Next Big Thing.
Text Complexity:
Lexile Level: 790L
Resources:
Teaching Neuromancer: 200-Level English. A professor's notes for his unit on the book.Very helpful.
Neuromancer Wiki. Useful and well-organized. Teachers and students can add their own information and insights while they read the novel.
Title: The Maltese Falcon (1930) -- [Josiah]
Author: Dashiell HammettGenre: MysteryDescription:The Maltese Falcon is the archetypal American mystery novel. Sam Spade is a private eye who is investigating the death of his business partner Miles Archer. Some people think that Spade himself killed Archer. Spade didn’t like the man, but it’s bad for business to let somebody kill your partner and get away with it. Brigid O’Shaughnessy is a beautiful woman who hires Spade to help her find a person who doesn’t even exist, while dangerous criminals are looking for the priceless statue of a golden falcon. These men will kill anybody who gets in their way, including Sam Spade. The detective is caught up in a shadowy world of hidden identities, double-crosses, and murderous intent. Brigid O’Shaughnessy is not what she seems to be, and neither is the Maltese Falcon...Theme or Topic: Loyalty and Betrayal. Truth and Deception.
Rationale:Dashiell Hammett is a great American writer. He was both a popular and critical success when he wrote, and his best work is still rewarding, even today. He wrote in a telegraphic, declarative style which is similar to the work of Ernest Hemingway. Hammett could provide an interesting glimpse into early 20th century American literature for high schoolers. You could very easily jump from The Maltese Falcon to the work of Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, or William Faulkner. The Maltese Falcon requires a high level of reading comprehension that 9th and 10th graders don’t generally have. The readers need to make plenty of their own inferences, and they need to look for hidden truths behind the lies and betrayals that permeate the novel. 11th and 12th graders however will be perceptive enough to investigate The Maltese Falcon.
Text Complexity:Lexile Level: 760L
Text Complexity Rubric for Literary TextsLayout: Complex TextsPurpose & Meaning: Complex Texts
Language Features: Somewhat Complex TextsStructure: Complex TextsKnowledge Demands Fiction: Somewhat Complex Texts
Resources:
The Maltese Falcon in Exactly Seven Minutes. This is the entire plot of the novel edited to run in only seven minutes. The video is edited from the 1941 film directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart.
//The Maltese Falcon// Teacher’s Guide: Schedule/Lesson Plans. Great resources for a ten-lesson unit on the book.
“The Simple Art of Murder” by Raymond Chandler. This is a wonderful essay by another great mystery novelist. Raymond Chandler writes about the evolution of mystery novels from the so-called Golden Age of Agatha Christie up through the revolution of American pulp writers like Hammett and Chandler himself. This is wonderful investigation of the straightforward style and artistic merit of Dashiell Hammett’s writing.
Title: The Scarlet Letter (1850) - (shiela)
Author: Nathaniel HawthorneGenre: Gothic Literature, Psychological Romance
Lexile Level: 1420
Description: Adulteress Hester Prynne must wear a scarlet A to mark her shame. She conceives a daughter through her adulterous affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, remains unidentified and is wracked with guilt, while her husband, Roger Chillingworth, seeks revenge. The Scarlet Letter's symbolism helps create a powerful drama in Puritan Boston: a kiss, evil, sin, nature, the scarlet letter, and the punishing scaffold.
Themes: The nature of evil, sin, identity and society
Rationale: When Hester Prynne bears an illegitimate child she is introduced to the ugliness, complexity, and ultimately the strength of the human spirit. Though set in Puritan community centuries ago, the moral dilemmas of personal responsibility, and consuming emotions of guilt, anger, loyalty and revenge are timeless. This is a classic example of the human conflict between emotion and intellect.
Watch the 1995 movie trailer
The Scarlet Letter at Intiman Theatre
Still from the 1926 film version. Lillian Gish, in Victor Sjostrom's adaptation.
Text Complexity Rubric for Literary TextsLayout: Complex TextsPurpose & Meaning: Complex TextsLanguage Features:Complex TextsStructure:Complex TextsKnowledge Demands Fiction: Complex Texts
Title: The Handmaid's Tale (1985) [Rachel]
Author: Margaret AtwoodGenre: Speculative Fiction (Dystopian/Satire)Description: (This description is from Goodreads.com. Click to follow the link.) Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...
Theme or Topic: Feminism, Dystopian Society, Language as Instrument of Power, Human Complacency
Rationale: This book tackles many large issues that require higher order thinking, examination of personal beliefs and philosophies, and a closer look at political implications. However, the story itself is engaging, exciting, and suspenseful. Atwood explores complex literary conventions such as magical realism and satire as well as complex moral themes, yet the text remains approachable.
.Text Complexity: Lexile Level: 750L
Text Complexity Rubric for Literary TextsLayout: Complex TextsPurpose & Meaning: Complex TextsLanguage Features:ComplexStructure: Somewhat ComplexKnowledge Demands: Somewhat Complex
Resources:
Margaret Atwood: The Road to UStopia
A recent article by Margaret Atwood (October 14, 2011).
"Book Trailer" 1
"Book Trailer" 2
Sparknotes: The Handmaid's Tale
//The Handmaid's Tale// Lesson Plan
Title: American Gods (2002) [Rachel]
Author: Neil GaimonGen
Description: (From Goodreads.com. Click to follow link.)After three years in prison, Shadow has done his time. But as the days, then the hours, then the minutes, then the seconds until his release tick away, he can feel a storm building. Two days before he gets out, his wife Laura dies in a mysterious car crash, in apparently adulterous circumstances. Dazed, Shadow travels home, only to encounter the bizarre Mr. Wednesday claiming to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America. Together they embark on a very strange journey across the States, along the way solving the murders which have occurred every winter in one small American town. But they are being pursued by someone with whom Shadow must make his peace... Disturbing, gripping and profoundly strange, Neil Gaiman's epic new novel sees him on the road to finding the soul of America.
Theme or Topic: American "culture" and how it came to be a conglomerate and bastardization of cultures preceding.
Rationale: This book educates about multiple cultures' gods and religions while also exploring the affect of capitalism and "plasticism" of American culture. Gaiman uses a wide variety of literary techniques, but in a modern and engaging fashion. The story and characters are memorable enough to make you forget that you are engaging in philosophical critical thinking at almost every turn.
Text Complexity, Lexile: No Lexile Level available; AR Level of 5.3
Text Complexity Rubric for Literary Texts:
Layout - Somewhat Complex
Purpose and Meaning - Complex Text Plus
Structure - Complex Text
Language Features - Complex
Knowledge Demands - Complex
Neil Gaiman's web site, //American Gods// section. Includes press releases, research the author referenced while writing the book, reading guide, audio excerpt, and more.
A Teacher's Blog about his experience teaching //American Gods//
//American Gods// Book Trailer
List and brief description of gods referenced in //American Gods//
Title: The Sound of Waves (1954) – [Nick]
Author: Yukio MishimaGenre: Coming of Age
Description: Yukio Mishima's coming of age tale is set in post WWII Japan and centers on Shinji Kubo and his love interest Hatsue. Their love faces the obstacle of rumors impugning Yuji's good name and the dissaproval this generates with Hatsue's family. Through a display of heroism Shinji wins his love's heart and her family's approval. The simple and recognizable storyline couched within the unique environment of post-war Japan. Mishima's beautiful description and poignant expression of his character's feeling makes the text resonant while also creating an idyllic tale that expresses his ideologies.
Themes: Coming of age, first love, societal pressure, culture study
Rationale: “The Sound of Waves” is an accessible representation of Mishima's work and an excellent opportunity to showcase the experiences and assertions of a Japanese nationalist in a text written very shortly after the war's end. Behind the text's fairly straightforward story is a wealth of information concerning both the time period and Mishima's reaction to the political climate in which he writes.
Text Complexity:
Lexile unavailable, however his other works, with available Lexile scores, range from 950L-1120L suggesting that this text falls within an acceptable range of complexity.
Rubric:
Layout: Complex
Purpose and Meaning: Complex
Structure: Somewhat Complex
Language Features: Very Complex
Knowledge Demands: Complex
http://www.chlive.org/pbeck/eastlibrary/MISHIMA.htm – Variety of resources on Mishima, Japanese culture, religion and resources concerning the individual novel and it's many reiterations.
http://www.globaled.org/spot_JP/c1l2.html – A lesson plan for teaching the novel over the course of a few weeks. The unit is organized with a social studies slant, though still offers some good insights concerning the text.
Title: The Stranger (1942)
Author: Albert Camus
Genre: Fiction/Foreign Literature
Description: The Stranger is a novel written by Albert Camus which discovers various schools of philosophical thought including existentialism, absurdism, nihilism, and naturalism. The main character, Meursault, gives a first person narrative which is broken up into two parts: before and after he murders another man. Meursault struggles with the meaning of life before he murders a man, and struggles with what will happen to him after his death after he murders the man.
Rationale: This novel is great for 11-12 grade reading because of the philosophical concepts it explores. Although quantitatively the work is considered lower than a 11-12 grade level, qualitatively it is much higher. It requires the students to understand concepts which are not explicitly stated and think deeper about philosophical ideas such as existentialism or nihilism. This opens the doors for lengthy in-depth discussions and written work by the students.
Layout: Complex
Purpose: Very Complex
Structure: Somewhat Complex
Language: Somewhat Complex
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stranger_(novel)
Title: Slave Girl (1977)
Author: Buchi Emecheta
Genre: Fiction
Description: The Slave Girl follows the fortunes of Ogbanje Ojebeta, a Nigerian woman who is sold into slavery in her own land after disease and tragedy leave her orphaned as a child. In her fellow slaves, she finds a surrogate family that clings together under the unbending rule of their master. As Ogbanje Ojebeta becomes a woman and discovers her need for home and family, and for freedom and identity, she realizes that she must ultimately choose her own destiny.
Resource: http://www.amazon.com/Slave-Girl-Novel-Buchi-Emecheta/dp/0807609528
Rationale: This novel is a great novel to teach 11th or 12th grade students not only because of its lexile level (1060), but because of the content. Themes such as slavery, racism, and gender roles are all incorporated into this novel which makes for very in-depth discussions.
Complexity
Layout: Complex
Purpose: Complex to very complex
Structure: Complex
Language: Complex to very complex
Additional Resources:
http://www.memoireonline.com/08/09/2639/Discourse-analysis-on-Buchi-Emechetas-The-Slave-Girl.html
Title: The Great Gatsby (1925)
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Genre: Fiction / Twentieth-Centuary Literature
Description: The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald which tells the story of the famously wealthy Jay Gatsby, and his ruinous pursuit of Daisy Buchanan. The Great Gatsby explores many themes, including materialsm, love, and national identity, and is often labeled the "Great American Novel." It is simply not to be missed.
Rationale: This novel is great for 11-12 grade reading because it has all of the traits that make for productive discussion in an English classroom, yet the story itself is highly accessible. Kids love the mysterious history of Gatsby, his undying love for daisy, and can easily relate to the materialism that pervades the whole novel.
Lexile: 1070L
Layout: Complex
Purpose: Very Complex
Structure: Somewhat Complex
Language: Somewhat Complex
Resources:
http://www.toptenz.net/10-ten-short-stories-f-scott-fitzgerald.php
Title: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865)
Author: Lewis CarrollGenre: Fiction / Ninteenth-Centuary Literature
Description: The Mad Hatter, the Ugly Duchess, the Mock Turtle, the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat -- characters each more eccentric than the last, and that could only have come from Lewis Carroll, the master of sublime nonsense. In these two brilliant burlesques he created two of the most famous and fantastic novels of all time that not only stirred our imagination but revolutionized literature (Amazon).
Rationale: This novel is useful in grades 11-12 because it is a story that is both familier to most students, and fun to read. Further, the complexity of Carroll's ideas and his frequent use of satire mean that there is plenty of material for analysis for even the most rigorous of classes. Seniors often struggle with motivation, and this book is different enough from the usual school selections that it might renew some interest in the subject.
Lexile: 940L
Layout: Complex
Purpose: Very Complex
Structure: Very Complex
Language: Somewhat Complex
Resources:
http://www.insite.com.br/rodrigo/text/lewis_carroll.html
Title: The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story (2007)
Author: Diane AckermanGenre: WWII Fiction
Description: When Germany invaded Poland, Stuka bombers devastated Warsaw—and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski began smuggling Jews into empty cages. Another dozen "guests" hid inside the Zabinskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts. Jan, active in the Polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital. Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and its animal inhabitants—otters, a badger, hyena pups, lynxes (Amazon).
Rationale: This novel is offers a great connection to any History class that is studying WWII. It is brutally descriptive of one of the saddest points in the world's history, and has a story that is compelling enough to draw in all but the most resistant students.
Layout: Complex
Purpose: Very Complex
Structure: Very Complex
Language: Complex
Resources:
http://www.ushmm.org/research/library/bibliography/?lang=en&content=primary_sources
Title: Don Quixote (1615)
Author: Miguel de Cervantes SaavedraGenre: Fiction, Parody, Romance
Description: Don Quixote is a reader who has lost sight of the horizon between fiction and reality. Full to the brim of tales of adventure and romance, Quixote comes to believe that he himself is a knight straight from the pages of his favorite stories and must take on a chivalrous quest. Quixote's grand delusion leads to plenty of confusion and mischief, alternating between the wildly funny and the poignant as he follows his dream of imaginative heroism in the face of harsh reality (http://www.dailylit.com/books/don-quixote).
Rationale:This novel is wonderful for studying satire, and also offers many opportunities for discussion on the importance of an author's context. Don Quixote seems so modern in its parody that engaged students cannot help but wonder how this Cervantes managed to write this so long ago. Additionally, Don Quixote has become such an archetypal character that students will be well- served by developing a genuine familiarity with Cervantes's bumbling protagonist.
Lexile: 910L
Layout: Complex
Purpose: Very Complex
Structure: Complex
Language: Complex
Resources:
http://www.quixote-quest.org/resources/Feedback/WhoIsDonQuixote_102700.html